Abortion is not a new concept. It has been around since ancient times, although the fierce and sometimes violent discussions about its ethical and moral place in the world are much more recent. The short story "We Do Abortions Here" was written by Sallie Tisdale and published in 1987. This piece takes a unique view of abortion. It never picks a side outright and even the main character, a nurse in an abortion clinic, seems to have her doubts. The subtle and descriptive language used provides the keys to unlocking its message about abortion. The precise word choices used within the story reveal the narrator 's opinion of abortion, specifically through the words used with or in place of "fetus" and as well as conflicting words used in close
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One is the preface to describing the different women the clinic sees. It begins, "I am struck by the sameness and I am struck every day by the variety here" (Tisdale 67). This is one of the less conflicting messages, especially paired with another quote from a later part of the story. "Women have abortions because they are too old, and too young, too poor, and too rich, too stupid, and too smart" (Tisdale 70). Together, they paint a scene of her support of abortion for the simple reason that they happen. The clinic does abortions day in and day out, and, although they see a huge variety of women, each one fits into a category. For her, abortion has become a routine, the fulfillment of a promise to these women that others have failed to honor. Then again, she does not always have the luxury of simplicity. The narrator enjoys her job, it gives her a place to be needed and experience new challenges every day, but sometimes she struggles with the legitimacy of her ideals, questioning her job and her beliefs. "It is a sweet brutality we practice here, a stark and loving dispassion" (Tisdale 66). The conflicting idea is echoed within this one sentence, signaling her psychological struggle between the abstract idea of love crashed against the harsh reality of abortion. She struggles daily with the grey areas that lurk within …show more content…
Specific words that were used instead of "fetus", such as "humanoid" or "creature", added weight to the text and provided some insight into her view of the world. The various contradictory phrases within the short story showed the narrator 's psychological dissonance over abortion, until, with the final phrase, she convinced herself that "merciful violence" was the most correct way of thinking about
One is the preface to describing the different women the clinic sees. It begins, "I am struck by the sameness and I am struck every day by the variety here" (Tisdale 67). This is one of the less conflicting messages, especially paired with another quote from a later part of the story. "Women have abortions because they are too old, and too young, too poor, and too rich, too stupid, and too smart" (Tisdale 70). Together, they paint a scene of her support of abortion for the simple reason that they happen. The clinic does abortions day in and day out, and, although they see a huge variety of women, each one fits into a category. For her, abortion has become a routine, the fulfillment of a promise to these women that others have failed to honor. Then again, she does not always have the luxury of simplicity. The narrator enjoys her job, it gives her a place to be needed and experience new challenges every day, but sometimes she struggles with the legitimacy of her ideals, questioning her job and her beliefs. "It is a sweet brutality we practice here, a stark and loving dispassion" (Tisdale 66). The conflicting idea is echoed within this one sentence, signaling her psychological struggle between the abstract idea of love crashed against the harsh reality of abortion. She struggles daily with the grey areas that lurk within …show more content…
Specific words that were used instead of "fetus", such as "humanoid" or "creature", added weight to the text and provided some insight into her view of the world. The various contradictory phrases within the short story showed the narrator 's psychological dissonance over abortion, until, with the final phrase, she convinced herself that "merciful violence" was the most correct way of thinking about